


Fortune's Wheel Turns Up and Down

by Justghostingby



Category: Room of Swords (Webcomic)
Genre: Childhood Friends AU, Could take place in the same world as Trial of the Lost Girdle, F/F, Gen, Rated for brief scene of carnage in the beginning but actual violence is low, or in Canon, or is it? No one knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23936842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justghostingby/pseuds/Justghostingby
Summary: If anyone were to ask Tori, she’d tell them that the road to Queen’s champion was long, full of hard work and personal struggle. But that was only the second half of the story. The first half was more...personal.In which Tori and the Queen met once before.
Relationships: Tori Grieve & Her Queen, pre Tori Grieve/Her Queen
Kudos: 16





	Fortune's Wheel Turns Up and Down

Tori had seen a lot of carnage in her days as a bandit. Wild animal attacks which left a miscellaneous pile of limbs instead of people, whole caravans slaughtered and rotting, days old. It had been shocking the first time she’d come across it as a child who had only recently joined the ranks of the bandits. But gradually it became normal. She didn’t join in singleminded slaughter herself. Her band rarely ambushed, instead picking on the remains of other attacks. If they did decide to go for an assault like this, they mostly left people alive, especially woman and children. It was how they got Tori in the first place. Or so she’d been told. 

Tori had been trained to fight of course, she wouldn’t survive long if in the forest if she hadn’t, but her young age often regulated her to playing the part of the bait. It had been a point of contention between her and Leader, and the reason she was wandering alone right now. 

Still, she thought as she fought back the slight queasy turn of her stomach at the bodies, It was never wise to turn down an opportunity to help yourself to some good old-fashioned leftovers. 

It was in this mindset that she had approached the remains of the procession. It must have been beautiful to witness, with fine silk banners and highbred horses to pull a caravan of ebony and plated with gold. Now the banners lay tangled on the ground, soaking in the red blood. The horses lay unmoving in unnatural angles while the caravan was on its side, one wheel broken. And everywhere the bodies lay, cut down like cattle as they tried to flee.

Tori eased her way towards the wreckage, dodging from tree to tree as quietly as she could. She was far away from her own band and did not fancy catching the attention of whatever band had done the killing. They must be new, she thought as she carefully stepped around a pool of blood. There were few in the forest who would be so bold. Or so foolish. 

She eyed the expensive hangings on the caravan, caught and tangled between the entrance and a body. This procession was for no minor noble, she thought as she bent down to run the fabric of the dead man’s clothes through her fingers. It was smooth, and light as air. She then caught some of the silk caught tight around his body. It felt the same. She raised an eyebrow. Could the man be a noble? She glanced over him again then to the other bodies around, but his clothes, although neat, were far from the finest in the carnage. A high end servant then. But to have enough money to waste silk on a servant’s garments...this caravan must have belonged to one of the high families themselves.

She dropped the silk, feeling her stomach turn. An attack on a high noble? There would be retribution on the entire forest for this. She glanced back towards the nearby city, blocked from her view by acres of trees. Maybe she should get out of here while she still could, before guards come. Its what her band would do. 

But then again, she thought as her eyes landed on the golden embroidery on the caravan’s silk hangings. The guards couldn’t get here that soon. Not if she was quick and clever about it. She edged to the side of the caravan, through a hole that might have once been a window. The smell inside was overpowering. She covered her nose and choked back a gag as her eyes took in her surroundings. 

Bodies in finer clothes than she could hope to wear...the was even a fine silk dress with ruby studs abandoned on the ground...all useless. If she took any of this to a pawn shop she’d be handed over to the guards in a heartbeat. Her eyes fell a fine purse beside the abandoned dress. There. She fiddled with the clasp and opened it to reveal twenty fat golden coins and a small butterfly pin. Perfect. She dropped the pin carelessly on the dress, and pulled out the coins. Her teeth sank into it and she grinned. Ahh coins, fine gold coins that were just common enough that a pawn broker wouldn’t ask too many questions. These could feed her entire band for months!

She crept out of the caravan, not wanting to spend anymore time inside than she had too. At the entrance she hesitated, eyes falling to the man once again, whose wide empty eyes seem to stare back into her soul. In a moment of childish irrationality, she bent and closed his eyes to stop him from seeing her escape. 

It may have saved her life. 

An arrow flew over her head, embedding itself in the fine ebony. She darted for the cover of the tree line, as voices shouted behind her. “A survivor! Kill her!” 

Cursing her luck, she ran blindly forward as a rain of arrows followed closely behind. Just as it seemed one would spit her head, a hand reached out and grabbed her. Pulling her down below. 

She struggled, kicking out blindly and biting at the soft flesh over her mouth. The person holding her did not scream. Tori twisted her head sharply to the left, shaking free from the grasp to get a good look a her captor, only to meet the eyes of a young girl. The sheer unexpectedness stilled her in her tracks. 

“Quiet,” the girl mouthed, delicate pink lips forming the words without making a sound. Tori gave a jerky nod, and the girl gently pulled her hand back. It was bleeding, Tori noted, but the girl made no sign that it hurt her at all. Instead she tried to give Tori what was no doubt meant as a reassuring smile, but stretched to thin to be believable. Tori was not impressed. This girl was trembling, she could feel it pressed against her in their hiding place, and she seemed to think Tori needed reassurance? 

“Where did they go?” A voice called out, sharp and loud and far to close. The girl winced, and her grip tightened on Tori’s wrist. The movement caused Tori to shift her weight, and sent the coins in the purse clinking against each other. The girl’s eyes snapped to the purse

“Did you hear that?” the voice was closer. The girl froze, then reached out to grab the purse. Instinct overtook Tori and she elbowed her sharply, struggling to keep her away from her prize. But she was awkwardly positioned, and the girl, although delicate, was far better fed. She managed to wrestle the purse from Tori, raised it above her head, and then threw it as fast and as far as she could.

“There it is again!” the voice said, coming from father away. Several voices called out in agreement, and began to fade out in the direction the girl had thrown the coins. Tori held her breath and counted, one..two..now! She leapt to her feet, arm still caught in the other girl’s, and ran as fast as she could. The other girl stumbled, hand tugging Tori’s arm so that they both nearly lost their balance. Tori reached back to catch the hand properly in her own, and tugged her upright as they ran. 

The trees blurred together as she pulled the other girl in zigzagged path to throw off pursuers. This forest was hers, and even in the blind panic she knew exactly where she was. Even a local would have a hard time keeping up, and from the lack of footsteps behind them, this group was clearly not. But she didn’t let that stop her until she was certain even Leader couldn't have followed them.

As she finally came to a halt, she became aware of the gasping and panting behind her. She turned just in time to see the girl behind her collapse on the ground, sweat pasting her strands of her once neatly pinned hair to her face. Tori could feel her own feet burn, but stubborn pride kept her from collapsing like the other. Instead she took the opportunity to study the girl who was now laying on the ground, uncaring of how her fine white dress stained in the mud and undergrowth. 

She was beautiful the way city folk so often were, hair clean and skin soft and clearly not used to hard labor. It made Tori want to tug on her own hair, cut rough and short with a dagger by her own hand. The girl’s dress wasn’t ornate though, instead it was white and oddly light as it moved up and down as the girl gasped for breath. Logically Tori knew she was probably one of those high end servants, who had been missed in the ensuing slaughter. But something about the sight of her sprawled in the undergrowth reminded Tori of the fae. 

Tori shuffled her feet, feeling suddenly very small and unkept. “If ye are quite alright,” she said in her fanciest accent, “I’ll be taking my leave.” She turned as gracefully as she could to head back deeper into the woods.

“Wait!” The girl pulled herself to a sitting position, hair tumbling over her shoulder as she called out to Tori. “Please wait! I don’t know where I am!”

Tori hesitated, glancing back at the girl, and up to the tree behind her that she knew lead up to the city itself. It really wasn’t that far...surely the girl could tell that the younger trees meant they were nearing the edge? But the girl only pulled her legs closer to her chest, flinching as a bird cried out to loud. 

“Why is that my problem?” she asked. The girl wasn’t in any danger, she could probably cry loudly and the guards would come running. “Use yer head, ye’ll find the way.”

“I saved your life!” the girl protested. Which was a fair point. Tori probably did owe her for it, but she wasn’t about to let her know that.

“Ye also threw away my money,” Tori crossed her arms. Then added for good measure. “My family could have used that to winter under a warm roof.” There. Let her protest to that. See what she says to people who don’t live as toys for the rich and powerful.

“I’ll pay you back!” the girl yelped, holding out a hand as if to grab Tori. “I’ve got a lot of money! Just get me to the city and I’ll replace everything you had.”

Tori brightened at those words. “Really?” she coughed into her hand. “I mean, that would be acceptable. But -” she fixed the girl with a firm glare, “-double cross me and I will not hesitate.” She raised her fist as fiercely as she could.

The girl nodded rapidly. “I will! Don’t worry! I’m a woman of my word!”

Tori snorted at that, then straightened in an attempt to cover it up. “Woman? Ye are not a woman yet.” She crossed her arms and nodded to her own words. There was no way this girl was any older than her.

The girl hid a giggle behind her hand. “I am sixteen, and a woman in my own right.” 

“Sixteen?” Tori cried, then slapped her hand over her mouth. For a second they both sat in silence, waiting for a reply. There wasn’t any. She lowered her voice just in case. “Ye cannot be so old.” There was no way the girl was four years older than she was.

“Oh I fear I am,” she held out her hand to Tori. “Help an old woman to her feet?”

Tori stared at the hand for a second, before stepping forward and grabbing hold. It was soft against her rough skin. The girl rose gracefully to her feet, then dropped a curtsy. “Lead the way if you please.”

Tori felt her cheeks heat, and turned away to hide it. “Come on,” she grumbled as she strode forward into the trees. The other girl hurried to follow, falling into step beside her. In a matter of minutes, the trees began to thin, until they gave way to an open field with the great stone wall of the city across it.

The girl stopped short, but Tori caught her hand and pulled her forward. “Don’t stop now,” she said as she cast a worried look over her shoulder. “They have archers remember?”

The girl nodded, and together they hurried across. Not quite running, but much faster than any normal person could be, casting their eyes back over their shoulders as they did so. The girl pulled forward, longer legs giving her an advantage over Tori. Tori stared at the fine hairpin that held her hair up, and wished more than anything that she was older and not beaten in a foot race by fancy servants who clearly did not know how to run.

When they reached the gate, they were both nearly running. The girl pulled Tori closer to her, ushering her inside with one final glance behind them. Her shoulders sagged with relief, as if the danger was passed them. But Tori kept her body tense and eyes roving, knowing full well that the inside of the city contained its own dangers. 

“We should find a guard to give us directions,” the girl smiled, as if she hadn’t said the stupidest thing Tori could ever think of.

“Are ye out of yer mind?” Tori hissed, flinching back. The girl only blinked at her, a funny, confused smile on her face.

“A guard could help us...guide us to the Count I’m supposed to visit and pay you back...” Tori shook her head, jerking out of the other girl’s grasp. The girl yelped. “Hey...” But Tori wasn’t listening as she darted into a side street and ducked behind a large pile of barrels to hide. She’d rather go back to her hand with nothing than get caught by a guard. 

People passed by the entrance to the side street, but no one came down, just when she was beginning to think it was safe to leave, she heard footsteps and the tell tale sounds of rustling fabric against chainmail. A rough voice snapped, “the Pendragon line dies today.” Laughter followed, and there was the sharp sound of steel drawn against a leather sheath. 

A sharp cry rang out and someone stumbled back. “She bit me!” A man snarled as a familiar voice cried out.

“Help me!”

Many, many years down the line, Tori would wonder why she chose to do what she did next. It certainly wasn’t in character for her at all. By all rights, she should have stayed hidden and let the guards do what guards do. Leader probably would have congratulated her too, for finally using her head. But Tori had never been particularly smart. 

She threw herself over the barrel and directly onto the guard closest to the girl. He gave a cry of surprise, too shocked to move. Tori took the opportunity to kick him in his privates, then head-butted him when he doubled over in pain. He gasped and let go of the girl. She fell to the ground by the barrels. Tori ignored her in favor of kicking the guard once more until he fell to the ground and stopped moving. The other three rushed at her, swords drawn, she ducked their blows, hitting at knee joints and biting at any exposed skin she could find. 

Three against one was not a fair fight, but no one in the forest fought fair, and Leader always made certain that the women in the band knew how to fight twice as hard. She only needed to get them to the ground, once they were at her level, she could make them pay. A swift kick to the head knocked one out still, and another quickly followed. The last guard screamed for reinforcements before she punched him directly in the teeth. 

There, she sank to the ground, every muscle screaming in pain. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Maybe leader was right, she really wasn’t ready for fighting yet. It took an awful lot of work.

“There!” A scream filled the air. Tori’s head jerked up to see a whole legion of guards coming directly towards them. There were too many. Tori knew she couldn’t fight them all. She stumbled to her feet, fists raised, ready to die upright like a proper bandit. Distantly she wondered if leader would miss her, or only shake her head and use her story as a warning for other children of her band. 

“Watch out!” The girl cried, as the whole pile of barrels tumbled into the street, knocking guards flying as they rained down upon them. Tori turned, bewildered, to see the girl fall to the ground from a window halfway up. How had she gotten there? It didn’t matter. The girl ran towards Tori, grabbing her hand and pulling her forcefully backwards, further down the street. 

Tori tripped along behind her, nearly pulling them both down, but the other girl was once again strong enough to keep them both upright. They ran through a confusing maze of buildings and back streets, dodging around strangers and animals as they hurried by. 

Tori finally wretched her hand out of the other girls and stopped in an empty alleyway, gasping for breath. Her trembling hands on her knees were the only things that stopped her from collapsing on the grimy ground. 

“They tried to kill me.” Tori looked up, to see the girl curled against the wall, hugging her knees. The girl raised her trembling chin, and her big red eyes were brimming with tears. “Why? Why would they do that?”

“They’re guards,” Tori offered, giving a half shrug. Feeling helpless in the wake of her tears. “It’s what they do.”

The girl winced, a shutter wracking her whole body. She stiffened suddenly. “It wasn’t a bandit attack.”

“What?” Tori frowned at her as she squatted next to the girl, not comprehending what the girl meant. 

“The attack on my caravan. They weren’t bandits.” Oh thought Tori, that explains why they were so bad at it. No one in the forest would attack a high noble and then not even have the brains to kill them all off.

The girl snuffled as snot and tears stained her knees. She didn’t even notice as she continued, “It was a coup de tat. Someone...the Lancasters...or the Rexs, they meant to kill me. They...” The girl took a gasping breath. “They k...I’m all alone.” She buried her face back into her knees and sobbed as if her heart were broken. Her hair a curtain to shield her grief.

Tori felt a tug in her own chest that grew louder at each new wail. She could just walk away, this wasn’t her problem, but she didn’t want to leave her, alone and helpless, in the strange city. Finally she leaned against the wall beside the girl and muttered, “ye...ye could come with me.” 

The girl stilled, peaking at Tori through the curtain of green hair. Tori looked away and tugged at the tips of her own shaggy locks. “Ye are very brave...and smart. We could use ye in our band. Ye’d make fine bait.”

The girl let out a strangled wail, Tori whirled back to face her, certain she’d made a horrible mistake and made things worse. The other girl lunged forward. She threw her arms around Tori and pulled her close, sobbing into her shoulder. Tori went stiff, arms raised awkwardly as she wondered where she was supposed to put them. Even after everything, the girl still smelled of flowers and spring meadows. Tori felt like touching the other with her own dirty hands would be wrong somehow. She settled for lightly patting her on the back, and hoping it was enough.

Gradually the sobs began to slow into sparse hiccups. The girl leaned back out of Tori’s embrace, and ran a hand over her eyes. “Thank you.” She smiled at Tori, warm and genuine, but with an edge of frailty that hinted it could break at any minute. “I believe that is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Tori shifted uncomfortably, and and looked down at the hem of her garment. It hadn’t seemed that important. Not to Tori.

“So ye’re gonna come?” She peaked up at the older girl. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip, seemingly at war with herself.

“I would like nothing more than to accept your offer.” The girl met Tori’s eyes, and Tori could read the sincerity in her words. “But,” she hesitated and Tori looked down. “There is someone in this city who is very important to me. Let me check on them, secretly. If they are dead, then I will go with you.” 

“And if they are with the guards?” Tori asked, eyeing the tired bags under the girl’s eyes. She doubted they would escape again.

“If he is with the guards,” the girl raised her chin. “Then run, and do not stop for me.”

\--------------

The town house the girl led them to was bigger than any Tori had ever seen before. She tugged at the hem of her garment, feeling underdressed, and glanced at her disheveled companion. If anyone saw them here, they’d likely call the guard on them for their shabby appearance, regardless of what side they were on in this vague conflict that had her companion so afraid. 

At first Tori had been nervous the the other girl would lead them directly up to the front door, but she turned down a side street and stopped at plain, overlooked one instead. A servant’s entrance. The girl raised her fist to the wood and hesitated. Tori gave her other hand a worried squeeze. A reminder that they needed to hurry. The girl drew in a breath, than knocked thrice in a slight rhythm.

For a tense second, nothing happened. Tori gave a tug on the other girl’s hand, to signal they should probably run, whoever it was wouldn’t come. Then the door opened with a bang and a large, motherly woman in an apron filled the doorway. “It’s you!” she cried, grabbing the girl and Tori by the shoulders and whisking them inside.

With their only escape closing sharply behind them, the woman pulled them both into a tight hug. Tori tried to struggle, but she was too strong, arms like stone crushing her chest as she collided uncomfortably with the other girl. The woman didn’t seem to notice. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she said.

“As am I,” the other girl said, voice strangled. “But could you let us down?” The woman’s grip loosened, and Tori pushed away, gasping for breath.

“Who is this?” the woman raised an eyebrow as she noticed Tori for the first time. 

“My savior,” the girl said. “Please treat her well. I believe I owe her money.” The woman nodded and placed a hand at Tori’s back, subtly pushing her off towards a table by the side of the kitchen. Tori planted her feet and refused to be ushered anywhere. 

“I need to speak to Baron DuLac. Is he in?” the girl looked hopefully up at the woman, who was still subtly trying to push Tori away. 

“Yes,” the woman relaxed her hand on Tori. “I just sent a girl up to get him. He’ll want to see you immediately. We’ve all been so worried.” The girl gave her a faint smile.

“I’m fear that worry was justified.” The girl turned to a set of stairs that led further inside the house. “I must go to him at once,” she said as she marched up the stairs. Tori ducked under the woman’s arm and ran after her, unwilling to lose a familiar face in such a strange maze. 

The inside of the house was even fancier inside than outside. Woven tapestries hung in the hallways as Tori’s feet hit bare stone. Portraits and statues were tucked away in alcoves, and the doors were varnished with fine copper handles that shone brightly as stars. Tori wasted so much time staring that she almost missed it when the girl in front of her ducked into a small door on the right. 

Inside was a room unlike any Tori had ever seen before. Strange shelves running as high and long as the room itself covered every inch. In one end a fireplace crackled merrily away. In the other was a chair, of plush velvet and plump cushions swallowing a man.

“Baron DeLac!” the girl cried, running forward into his flabby arms. The man rose and met her halfway through, pulling her close in a tight hug. The girl broke down sobbing, and Tori could see the man held tears in his own eyes as well.

Tori drifted closer to the walls, not wanting to interrupt this moment. The shelves were oddly fascinating. Each one contained strange rectangular objects of different colors. Squiggles ran up and down the spines, and she couldn’t help but wonder what they were. A strong sniff revealed the slight sent of old leather, and another, dustier sent. She raised a hesitant hand to touch one, and found the leather was only a part, giving way to another, stranger roughness on top.

A sharp tug dislodged it, and it fell to the floor, falling nearly in half as it did so. She crouched down over the remains, wondering if she’d broken it. But no, the insides fluttered as she moved, twitching and frail. She turned one hesitantly, to find...pictures. Pictures of guards and knights fighting each other, posing in different positions. The squiggles seemed to be pointing to the positions, as if trying to mimic movement. She straightened her back and raised her arm in the first pose...

“And who is this?” A man’s voice echoed throughout the room. She jumped, to see both the girl and the man looking at her. The man walked over, and Tori shrank away, not wanting to be pinned against a wall. The man however, merely picked up the object. “You seem a bit young to be taking such an interest in the knightly arts.”

Tori’s shoulders tensed. “I can fight better than ye can, I’ll wager ye that,” she said as she gave the man’s large stomach a disdainful sneer. She may be young, but at least she wasn’t old and fat.

The man merely raised an eyebrow, and placed the object back in the shelf. “You’ve certainly got spirit. I’ll give you that.”

Tori opened her mouth, to tell this man exactly how spirited she could be, but the girl got there first. “This young lady saved me from the woods, and again from the guards. I would not be standing before you if not for her.”

“Is that so?” The man’s eyebrow climbed even higher. “And where are your parents, to let a girl run free so late in the day?”

“I have no parents!” Tori snapped, hands balled into fists. “Nor do I need them! My band is all I need!” 

“A band? You are very open about the criminality of your kin.” The man frowned.

“Better than a pretty pet to an ugly old man!” Tori shook her fist. The man raised an eyebrow, daring her to continue. She opened her mouth.

A yawn cut her off. She glanced over at the girl, who hastily raised her fingers to her lips. “I apologize. I am just a little tired. It’s been...a long day.” She gave Tori a ghost of a smile. “I’ll pay you back...just let me...” she broke off into another yawn.

“Yes,” the man slid a curling hand down the girl’s lower back, and Tori felt her blood boil. “My servants will pay you whatever you desire.” He waved his other hand dismissively towards her. 

“No,” Tori grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her away from the man’s arm, over towards her. She blinked in surprise. 

“But I thought...your family, won’t they want you back?” She questioned, but Tori shook her head.

“They can wait a few days, they’re used to it.” And likely already heading to the city to lay low after all that had gone down in forest. There would be no point in looking for any of them anytime soon. “I’m staying -” she stuck her tongue out at the fat old man “- until it’s safe.”

\------------

The bedroom they were led to was larger than most of the inns Tori’s band had wintered in. The cool stone was covered in soft rugs under Tori’s feet. Tori’s eyes roved the room, taking in table and chairs near a wide, open window, and the large wardrobe and a fireplace on the other side. Cautiously, Tori went to the window. It was to high to climb easily, but perhaps with a rope?

The girl ignored Tori, in favor of collapsing face first in the center of the huge bed. Tori walked over towards it too, eyes on the beautiful drapes on its sides. They were satin, not silk, probably intended to keep in the warmth and give privacy. Which was great for Tori, just in case. She ran her hand against the smooth fabric, and gave it an experimental tug. It held firm, but Tori figured it would come down if she added enough force. 

Tori slowly spun on her heel and walked to the wardrobe. It was solid ebony, and heavy. Her first few shoves to its side did nothing. But when she braced her whole body on it, it began to slowly move towards the door. 

“What are you doing?” the girl asked, sitting up on the bed to watch Tori with narrowed eyes.

“Taking precautions,” Tori panted. Why was this so heavy?

The girl frowned. “The Baron DuLac is trustworthy.”

“That’s what ye said about the guards,” Tori said as she strained forward. The girl bit her lip, but got to her feet. She took the other side of the wardrobe and pulled. Together, they managed to get it in front of the door. 

“Do...we need to do the window?” The girl gasped as she leaned against the smooth ebony. 

“I already checked,” Tori replied, leaning against the other side. “It’s to high to climb up from outside.” 

The girl nodded. “Then lets go to sleep.” She rose and moved towards the bed. Tori lingered by the wardrobe, feeling awkward. The girl looked back, one eyebrow raised. “Come on. There’s plenty of room for two.”

Tori carefully lowered herself onto the big bed. Softness overwhelmed her senses, and her body felt weightless as she eased off the ground. She gave little bounce, and giggled to herself. It felt like she was on a cloud. 

Tori turned her head to see the girl watching her, and blushed, looking away crossing her arms. The girl smiled, a strange, half twitch of her lips. “I’ve just realized,-” she shifted to recline slightly on a great fluffy pillow, “-that I don’t know your name.” 

Tori straightened her back as she turned to face her properly. “My name is Victoria,” she said, raising her chin as she spoke. It was a grand name, the longest one in the band, and she was rather proud of it. Whatever this fine lady girl had for a name, she couldn’t look down on a name like Victoria. 

The girl giggled. “I’m Mary,” she said. Tori pouted, feeling slightly disappointed. Everyone and their mother’s name was Mary. Mary seemed to sense her disappointment, and gave her a sheepish grin. “Not the most unique I know. Not nearly as fancy as Victoria.” 

Tori puffed out her chest. “It is really fancy. Like the old Queen.” Mary’s shoulders seemed to droop for a second, and Tori hurriedly continued. “But Mary’s pretty good too! I think they’ve got a princess named Mary, so it can’t be that boring.”

Mary threw back her head and laughed, a tinkling sound that reminded Tori of the tinkling of a forest creek. 

\-------------

Tori stayed in the fancy town house for five days. Five days of the motherly woman stuffing her and Mary with more food than Tori had ever seen in one place. Five days of wearing clothes without rips of holes. Five days of watching the fat man stand too close to Mary. Five days of sleeping beside Mary in a bed softer than a cloud.

She could almost get used to this, she thought as she strolled down the hallway, full and content. Mary had gone off somewhere in a hurry after they’d eaten, leaving Tori to wander alone in search of her. The small door caught her eye and her feet stopped. It was the same room where Tori and Mary had first met that fat man. A grimace formed on her face as she grasped the handle. She hoped Mary wasn’t inside.

“Mary?” she called, edging slowly into the room. The fire had gone down, filling the room with shadows. She eyed them carefully, but although they danced at the edges of the embers, they did not move in the solid way a person did when they tried to use them as cover. It was empty. Tori sighed, and turned to leave, when she heard sharp footsteps coming down the hall.

Years of instinct told her to hide, now, and she dove quickly behind the plump chair. It didn’t cover her entirely, but with the dim light, it was almost enough. Her knees hit the smooth stone just as she heard the door slam open, and the fat man’s voice say loudly, “Count Rex, I will receive you here.”

The swish of fabric on stone accents the petite footsteps as a new voice says, “This is hardly fit for receiving guests.”

“If you wanted a proper reception,-” the chair groans under the fat man’s added weight, “-then you should have sent an envoy announcing your plan to visit.”

A faint sniff comes across the air. “The nature of my visit was not one which could be predicted by an envoy.”

“Oh?” The chair creaks again, and Tori is certain he is leaning forward. “And why would that be?”

“Tragedy, my dear Baron. Tragedy,” the other voice says. Tori holds back a sigh. From the way this man was going on, she was going to be stuck here a while. 

“My fiancé, the lovely princess, light of my life, was late arriving at my castle to visit,” he pauses, clearly waiting for a response from the fat man. Tori fights the urge to roll her eyes. Yes, yes, you’ve got a fiancé, get to the point, she thought. My neck is beginning to cramp as you drag on.

The man continues, “I was naturally worried for her safety, and sent my men to investigate immediately. Alas,” he let out a theatrical sob, and Tori grit her teeth. “It was to late. Bandits, horrible bandits, had set upon the entire procession. She and everyone with her, dead.” Another loud, fake sob filled the room.

The fat man slumped against the chair, his weight knocking it backwards a centimeter. Tori held back a yelp as it pressed sharply against her chest. “...Mary...No...” 

Wait. Tori thought. Mary? Is this about Mary?

“Yes,” the other man said, voice condescending. “I know how close you were, so I felt it was best to bring you the knowledge in person.”

“I used to bounce her on my knee,” the fat man murmured. “And the wedding...” he broke into a sob, a much more convincing one in Tori’s opinion. “She was so excited.”

“Yes, she was so eager to marry me,” the other man said. Tori bristled at his tone. “She will be greatly mourned. However,” he paused, and Tori held her breath. “The crown must show strength in times like these.”

“I will rally my men to hunt those bandits down!” The fat man slammed his hand down on the armrest, jolting Tori. She yelped, both in pain and fear. Oh no. She slammed her mouth shut and held very still. Had she been heard?

The fat man gave a slight wheeze, and the chair creaked again as he leaned forward, coughing. 

“The hunting of the scoundrels is essential,” the other man said over the fat man’s coughs. “We will naturally eradicate every godforsaken band that calls the forest home,-” Tori felt her blood run cold at his words, “-but I was actually referring to a much greater need, for our kingdom to have a proper ruler.”

Her band, Leader, were they out of the forest yet? Tori had never considered herself religious, but now she prayed to God fervently for their safety.

“I suppose, with her late mother and father gone...” the baron broke into another fake sob. 

“Precisely,” the man jumped in. “We must choose a new ruler. And as the princess’s intended I believe I must take the position...to honor her of course,” he added hastily.

Tori bit her lip to keep back a growl. The man’s very voice seemed to grate on her ears. He was going on about something, but she didn’t try to comprehend his meaning, except that he was the kind of horrible swine Leader always said nobles were. She hoped more than anything that he went about looking for her band personally. Leader would love to put him in a ditch. 

“Of course,” the baron murmured in response, but Tori could hear a note of steel in his voice.

There is a silence, heavy and thick, that lands over the room. Tori didn’t move a muscle. Finally the stranger breaks it. “Can I count on your support, when the council meets again?”

There is a pause, and then the baron sighs. “I will do what is best for our country,” he says, body falling against the chair. “Now leave me. I must grieve.” 

“But of course, Baron DuLac,” the other voice demurs, then leaves with another swish of fabric against stone. 

The baron sat in that chair for a long time. So long Tori began to fear he had gone to sleep. Then he sighed as he rose. “Don’t leave this room until he has left the house Victoria.” Tori flinched. The baron continued. “Mary would be most disappointed if you ended up dead.” On that note, he swept out of the room, leaving Tori alone with sore knees behind the chair, hidden in shadows.

\-------------- 

The moon’s rays filtered through the window as Tori rose from her nest of fluffy pillows and blankets. She her eyes slide sideways to Mary’s slumbering form. Her chest rose and fell as she lays sprawled on the bed, completely at ease. Mary’s hair seemed to glow as it spread across her pillow. Her face was serene. Tori stared for a few seconds, drinking in the image ethereal being beside her.

She shook her head and eased her feet onto the ground. She needed to get out, tonight, and find her band. She had stayed too long in this fancy house with these fancy people, and now her family might pay for it. She needed to find them, and warn them of what was coming.

Leader was probably already expecting retribution, Tori tried to reassure herself, but the lingering guilt niggling in the back of her mind refused to leave her. She needed to see they were all right with her own eyes. But before she left, she thought as she glanced at the large wardrobe and grinned. She might as well make it worth her while.

She gripped the polished handle and eased it open. It gave a low creak, and Tori winced. She glanced back at the bed, but Mary didn’t stir. Tori’s attention returned to the wardrobe. She groped around greedy hands until she found a fine purse tossed carelessly in a corner.

She pulled it out and gave it an experimental jostle. It gave a merry clink. She slipped a hand inside and pulled out a fat gold coin, glinting dimly in the faint light. Perfect. She slipped a few more out, trying to guess how many were inside. It didn’t seem to be the same amount as the one Mary had thrown away, but with this new dress...it wasn’t fancy like Mary’s clothes, but it was decent enough. She could always sell it later, or use it for more scams. She would ask Leader. 

She plopped the coins back in the purse, shutting the clasp with a sharp click. There, now to get outside without being caught. 

“Victoria?” Mary’s voice was heavy with sleep as it came from the bed. Tori froze. Mary sat up, rubbing her eyes against the moon’s dim light. “Where are you-” Her gaze swept over Tori, still gripping the purse in one hand, “-oh.”

She didn’t say anything more, but Tori felt the weight of that “oh,” in her soul. She shifted from foot to foot, and wondered if she should hide the purse. But there was no point, Mary had all ready seen it. 

Mary’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “Have you decided it’s safe, then?” She shifted the hands folded primly in her lap.

Tori nodded. “The fat man said ye were dead. He cried like ye were too. A liar that good...ye’ll be safe here. Just -” Tori caught Mary’s eye and furrowed her brow, “-promise ye won’t let him stand so close.”

Mary let out a small laugh, sharp tinkling of a forest stream. she glanced down at her toes, hair falling like a curtain across her face. “You could stay.” Her voice was soft as the rustle of the wind in the undergrowth. Tori had to lean closer to hear the end. “Here, with me.”

Tori stared at her, mouth agape. Mary’s lovely hair prevented her from reading the expression on her face, but her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. Like Tori’s answer right now mattered.

For one long moment, Tori allowed herself to consider it. Living here, full meals every day, clean clothes without rips and holes, sleep in a bed softer than clouds. And Mary, Mary who was so clever and kind, who didn’t seem to realize that men weren’t to be trusted, but who would go out of her way to save a stranger in the woods. If she stayed, she could protect her, teach her to fight properly, with teeth and cheap shots, and make her laugh like dancing streams.

But Leader...Tori shook her head. “I can’t,” she said, hugging the purse to her chest, “My family...that fat man will raze the whole forest to convince people ye’re dead. I need to warn them not to go back.”

“Of course,” Mary nodded, hair cascading back and forth. “Your family needs you home.” She stood up, and shot Tori a smile, warm and just a little sad at the corners. “Are you going to go out the door, or the window?”

“The window,” Tori replied. “The cook sleeps to lightly to escape through the door.” She did mention the front door, they both knew that would be stupid. Mary turned to the curtains, and began to pull them off the bedpost. Tori moved to help her, knotting them together with sturdy knots. They worked in silence, side by side, until all the curtains combined to form a makeshift rope. 

Mary eyed there creation with skepticism. “Are you sure it will hold your weight?” 

Tori gave it an experimental tug. It held firm. “Yes,” she said with confidence she did not feel. “I’ll be fine.” She dragged it to the window, and anchored it firmly to the heavy table. Mary watched her, frowning.

“Wait a minute,” Mary said as she turned to the wardrobe. She dug around inside if for a while, before returning with something clutched in her hand. “Here.” She opened her palm, revealing a hair pin that looked vaguely familiar. 

“Huh?” Tori asked, raising an eyebrow at the decoration. It was pretty, but she failed to see what it was for. Mary sighed, and then held out her other hand, beckoning Tori closer with a single finger.

Tori took a hesitant step forward, and Mary spun her around, running her fingers through Tori’s short locks. “This is my lucky hair pin,” she said as she wove something solid and firm into Tori’s hair. “It’s customary for a lady to give a brave knight a lucky gift before he does something daring. But you don’t need luck, do you Victoria?” She pressed a slight kiss to the top of Tori’s head.

Tori glowed, feeling like she could climb a wall twice as high. “Of course!” She puffed up her chest as she took hold of the rope. “I can get down easy!”

Mary smiled back as she took the other end of the rope by the table, ensuring extra weight to keep Tori in place. Carefully, Tori began to ease out of the window. It was much harder than it looked. The satin rope was slick beneath her hands, and the wall was smooth with only tiny holes to use as footholds. Several times she slipped, sliding down half a story before her grip tightened on a knot and she could find her feet again. 

When her foot finally touched the firm ground, Tori felt relief wash over her. She half-wanted to collapse to her knees and kiss the cobbled stones of the road. But Mary was watching her from the window high above, and Tori didn’t want to look like a fool. Instead she placed her hand on her hips and beamed upwards. Mary slumped against the windowsill, leaning out on her elbows as her hair fluttered in the wind. 

Tori gave her an awkward bow. She probably didn’t do it right, women were supposed to curtsy, but Leader had never taught her, and a bow suited her better anyways. Mary pulled a silk handkerchief from somewhere, kissed it, and waved it in the air with the exaggerated solemnity of a woman sending her husband off to war. Tori pressed both hands over her mouth to hide a giggle. 

Tori looked back up at Mary, her handkerchief coming to rest with her hand delicately on the windowsill. The moonlight illuminated her pale face and the curve of her brow. Her hair, usually pinned up, hung free for the breeze to play with. Tori felt the weight of the lucky pin against her own scalp. It occurred to her then, that this would be the last time she saw Mary, high in her window like a princess in a tower. 

A great hand tightened around her heart, as she and flashed Mary one final smile. Mary returned it with one of her own, and Tori had to turn away to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

She fled into the familiar safety of shadows, feeling hollow in a way she hadn’t felt in years.

\----------------

six months later

\----------------

“She bit me!” A guard shrieked as another slammed Tori down onto the ground. Tori cursed and spat, but the pressure pinning her down and the handcuffs on her wrists prevented her from getting away. Mentally, she cursed the pawnbroker who had ratted her out. 

“You’re wearing armor. Man up.” Another guard said as strong arms lifted her up into the air. “She’s only a child!” Tori thrashed and kicked, but she couldn’t break out of his grip. He was too strong.

“A child who sold the Queen’s royal hairpin.” The other guard snapped back, eyeing Tori with distain. “She’s likely part of the band responsible for the attack on her royal highness too. They start them young in banditry.” Tori briefly stopped struggling to stick out her tongue at him.

“Bandit I may be, but the only criminal was that thrice-cursed swine of a pawnbroker. When I get out of here...”

“But you won’t,” the guard holding her interrupted as he strode forward. “You are going to tell us were the rest of your little band is hiding.” Tori kicked him where it would hurt twice for good measure. The armor prevented it from working, but it still felt good. The man’s face twisted into a sneer. “The Queen herself will oversee your integration. So don’t even think of lying.”

The doors flew open as the two guards half carried, half dragged Tori inside a great hall. Not that Tori was really paying attention, instead putting all her effort into fighting back. It was hopeless, she knew this. They’d surprised her just when she’d thought she and her band were safe. Now she was being dragged before the new Queen herself, and there was no way that she was walking out of this with her head on her shoulders. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to make it as miserable for them as it would be for her.

She wondered if Leader would miss her.

“We caught the thief.” The guard dropped Tori unceremoniously down onto the hard stone below. She scrambled to right herself, pushing with her manacled hands until she was sitting up right. 

“Victoria?” A familiar voice called out, shocked. Tori froze, and then lifted her eyes up to the woman sitting on the throne before her. Dress of silk and satin inlaid with jewels. Long green hair pinned perfectly into place around a simple crown. Face made up with powders and glosses into the image of the perfect Queen. But there was not mistaking those wide red eyes, or the curve of her lips in a half smile. She was as ethereal as the day Tori had first seen her in the woods. 

“Mary?” Tori whispered, voice hoarse. Voices hissed in the background, no doubt upset that Tori had addressed the Queen so informally. But Tori couldn't care less. Mary, who she’d found in the woods, who she’d saved from guards, was the new Queen? How had she missed that?

Mary straightened in her throne, braking eye contract with Tori to look over her and outward to her people. Tori ducked her head, feeling stupid and small.

“She was found with the hairpin correct?” Mary addressed the guards.

“Yes your highness,” one replied with a bow. “She was trying to sell it in a pawnshop.”

“Why would you do that Victoria?” Mary asked, a hint of pain in her voice. 

“I couldn’t keep it!” Tori straightened her back, looking at Mary imploringly. “It’s to expensive! If I walk around with something like that I’ll get arrested!” She rattled her chain for emphasis.

Mary pursed her lips. “I didn’t think of that. I’m sorry Victoria.” The crowd gasped. Mary raised her chin and addressed the crowd once more. “Victoria did not steal the hairpin in question. It was a reward, for her bravery in saving my life from the terrifying men who attacked my procession.” 

The crowd broke into whispers, muttering to themselves. Mary held up a hand and they quieted. “What other charges do you bring against her?”

“She’s a bandit?” The guard Tori had bit spoke up, clutching his injured hand. “I mean, she kinda admitted it...”

Mary gave Tori the slightest frown before continuing. “That is a serious accusation. Victoria, how old are you?”

Tori bit her lip. “Twelve,” she mumbled. Mary arched an eyebrow in surprise. 

“Only twelve,” she murmured to herself. Then to the crowd she said. “A crime like banditry must be addressed. But at the same time, I cannot condone the death of a child who risked her own life to save mine.” Tori shifted on her knees, uncertain. “Therefore,” Mary raised her voice. “I condemn Victoria to the rank of squire under the authority of Baron DuLac.”

The crowd erupted in shouts of outrage, but none were louder than Tori’s. “WHAT?!!” she snarled, staring at Mary in horror and betrayal.

“You’re going to reward her with the position of squire?” cried the guard who had carried her in.

“No she is not!” Tori snapped, shaking her chains in fury.

“Oh it’s not a reward.” Mary smiled down at Tori as she gritted teeth in response. “The knight’s code teaches honor and chivalry to every squire that passes through its gates. There is no better place for reformation.” 

“I don’t want to be some fancy pants knight!” Tori cried, eyes wide and pleading. “Couldn’t you just throw me in a dungeon or stocks or something like that instead?” She could break out of a dungeon. Probably.

A chuckle echoed from the side of the room. Tori turned her head to look behind her for the first time, and realized the fat man was sitting in the front row. “The Queen has spoken,” he said as he rose to his feet. “Now if you will excuse me, I’ll need the key to my new squire’s chains.”

“I’m not your anything!” Tori snapped back, baring her teeth.

He winked at her. “Now, now,” he said. “Is that anyway to speak to your new teacher?” The guard reluctantly handed him the key, and it opened with a sharp snap. Tori wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. She glanced back at Mary, who smiled encouragingly. 

That smile seemed to drain all the fight from Tori, and she didn’t struggle as the fat man gripped her arm with a surprisingly strong grip and dragged her away to her knew life.

\----------

The rest they say, was history. Or as Tori would call it, hard work and struggle. She wouldn’t even be allowed to see Mary again outside of formal occasions for years. But she never forgot how they met. She hid the hairpin, the fat man let her keep it, beneath her pillow. And whenever she had a particularly hard day, she would pull it out and run her fingers up and down the fine wood remembering the first time she saw it nestled in green hair.

**Author's Note:**

> And that was how Tori ended up working for (in my sister's words) this universe's Uncle Iroh. All her distain towards Alistair comes from knowing someone just as cunning as he is, but with standards.
> 
> I said to myself, this one was gonna be short. And then it wasn't.


End file.
